Guatemala Petronila y Jaime

Description

GUATEMALA PETRONILA Y JAIME RED FRUITS, CHERRY COLA, CURRANT JAM AN expressive washed Guatemala from husband-and-wife producers Petronila Morales Mendez and Jaime Ramirez Luis. This one jumped out to us for how much fruit it packs into an otherwise beautifully clean, classic washed coffee. We're tasting cherry cola, currant jam, ripe raspberry, and loads of juicy red fruit, with plenty of sweetness and structure underneath it all. It's vibrant and fruit-forward for a traditional washed Huehuetenango. A really fun coffee. BEAN DETAILS: ORIGIN: Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, Guatemala PRODUCER: Petronila Morales Mendez + Jaime Ramirez Luis ELEVATION: 1,980 masl PROCESS:  This is a traditionally washed coffee, processed entirely by the family. After picking, cherries are generally depulped the same day and placed directly into large plastic barrels. The coffee ferments for 12–24 hours, depending on weather and cherry ripeness. Rather than relying strictly on a timer, Jaime checks the coffee by hand. When the mucilage separates easily from the parchment, he knows it's ready. Water is then added and the coffee remains submerged for approximately eight hours. Jaime changes the water and agitates the coffee by hand with a stick or shovel, repeating with clean water when necessary. Finally, the coffee is dried on a nylon-covered patio for approximately 3–4 days, depending on the weather. VARIETY: Caturra, Bourbon TASTING NOTES:  Ripe red stone fruit leads into rooibos tea and deep caramel sweetness. Clean, structured, and wonderfully balanced. ROAST TYPE: Light Farm Level About Petronila & Jaime Petronila—Petrona to her family and friends—and her husband Jaime farm together in the village of Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, at approximately 1,980 masl. Coffee goes back generations on both sides of their family. Petronila grew up working alongside her father on coffee farms. Jaime's father worked as a coffee laborer, and Jaime began doing the same when he was just 15. Their parents would work on coffee farms during harvest and grow corn and beans throughout the rest of the year. About 30 years ago, Petronila and Jaime purchased their first parcel together. Today they farm three parcels, including land inherited from both sides of their family. It's very much a family operation. Jaime and one of their children oversee field labor and drying. Petronila manages the picking crew and still picks coffee herself, while their son helps with some of the more physically demanding work. Canoguitas We met Petronila and Jaime through a loosely organized group of producers around Canoguitas who are increasingly focused on specialty coffee. As they've learned more about the specialty market, they've put greater emphasis on one of the simplest—and most important—parts of producing great coffee: picking ripe cherry. They grow Caturra and Bourbon at nearly 2,000 meters, an elevation that helps produce the concentrated fruit and acidity we're tasting in this lot. Petronila and Jaime fertilize twice each year and reuse coffee pulp on the farm, particularly in their coffee nursery. Like many producers in the region, they point to rising fertilizer costs and labor shortages as two of their biggest challenges. The Process This is a traditionally washed coffee, processed entirely by the family. After picking, cherries are generally depulped the same day and placed directly into large plastic barrels. The coffee ferments for 12–24 hours, depending on weather and cherry ripeness. Rather than relying strictly on a timer, Jaime checks the coffee by hand. When the mucilage separates easily from the parchment, he knows it's ready. Water is then added and the coffee remains submerged for approximately eight hours. Jaime changes the water and agitates the coffee by hand with a stick or shovel, repeating with clean water when necessary. Finally, the coffee is dried on a nylon-covered patio for approximately 3–4 days, depending on the weather. Simple, careful processing—and an incredibly expressive result. Bean Details ORIGIN: Canoguitas, San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango, Guatemala PRODUCERS: Petronila Morales Mendez + Jaime Ramirez Luis ELEVATION: 1,980 masl VARIETIES: Caturra + Bourbon PROCESS: Washed FERMENTATION: 12–24 Hours + 8-Hour Water Soak DRYING: Patio Dried ROAST TYPE: Light